2019 Volkswagen Golf R [Malaysia]

The model’s 2.0 litre TSI engine has 290 PS at 5,500 to 6,500 rpm and 380 Nm from 2,000 to 5,400 rpm. The unit is paired with a seven-speed, wet dual-clutch DSG transmission, and power is applied to all four wheels via the automaker’s 4Motion all-wheel drive system. Performance figures include a 0-100 km/h time of 5.1 seconds and an electronically-limited 250 km/h top speed. Inside, the car features Vienna R leather interior upholstery, an R sports steering wheel with paddle shifters, brushed stainless steel pedals and illuminated scuff plates. It also features a 9.2-inch touchscreen Discover Pro infotainment system with a gesture control function. Aside from an eight-speaker audio system, there’s a 10 GB jukebox on top of the usual connectivity features, which includes App-Connect, which offers smartphone screen mirroring functionality via Apple CarPlay, Android Auto or MirrorLink. Other items include park distance control and a rear-view camera. The R comes with front/rear fog lamps, driver profile selection, cruise control and automatic headlights/wipers and keyless access lock/start, among other things.Safety-wise, the car is equipped with seven airbags, ESC and a Proactive Occupant Protection System. Three colours are available for the Golf R, Lapiz Blue, Pure White and Deep Black.

In the Touareg ACC is also interlinked with a driver assistance package, which additionally includes the Front Assist ambient monitoring system, the new City Emergency Braking function and the proactive occupant protection system. In the case of ACC 'plus' a new 'Stop-and-Go' function is included as well. Front Assist is a system for warning the driver and braking automatically if a collision is looming. One component of the Front Assist system is the City Emergency Braking function. While at higher speeds it is Front Assist that warns drivers against getting too close to the vehicle in front and of any potential collision, it is the City Emergency Braking system that assumes this function in urban traffic. Area View is a surroundings monitoring system. Via four cameras (in the rear hatch, the wing mirrors and the radiator grille) Area View transmits images of the complete area around the Touareg onto the central touchscreen in the centre console. Via split screen it is possible to display multiple images at the same time. The control unit also calculates from the four individual camera images a high-quality overall view of the surrounding area - from the perspective of a virtual camera above the vehicle.

On off-road terrain Area View relays via the front and side cameras the scene immediately ahead and to the side of the vehicle - in extreme situations a sometimes invaluable benefit. The way that the Lane Assist lane departure warning system works is also camera-based. If there is a danger of the car changing lane without indicating, the system warns the driver by vibrating the steering wheel and by depicting the detected lane markings that the car has crossed on the instruments' multifunction display. The system consists of a camera between the rooflining and rear-view mirror and a vibration motor inside the steering wheel. The camera recognises visible lane markings (markings on one side suffice) and, using a special algorithm and taking into account driving dynamics data, calculates the risk of the car leaving the lane. Lane Assist is activated at speeds of 65 km/h and above - i.e. outside of urban areas.

When the car's speed drops below 60 km/h, the system automatically deactivates. Two radar sensors at the rear on the Touareg scan the approaching traffic. LEDs in the wing mirrors immediately inform the driver of any vehicle in the blind spot (Blind Spot Detection) or approaching at extreme speed (Lane Change Assist). Any use of the indicator during this information phase shows that the driver intends to change lane and thus signals potential danger. The LEDs in the wing mirrors now flash brightly, warning the driver of the possible dangerous situation. If the Touareg is equipped not only with Side Assist but also with ACC, the functionality of the Adaptive Cruise Control system is extended by a fusion of the data from both systems. Interlinked in this case with the Side Assist system, the ACC then weighs up, for instance, whether speeding up could perhaps prevent a rear-end impact, provided that the road ahead of the Touareg is clear. The Touareg is being offered at launch in Western Europe with two V6 TDI engines, a V8 TDI and a hybrid version. The range of power output is between 150 kW / 204 PS and 279 kW / 380 PS.